Sunday, 25th March 2012 at 12:16

Drilling for rats? The Ratatouille Kitchen Calamity construction site has seen a new arrival with the start of pile driving for the attraction’s foundations. After clearing and levelling the area, then laying and compacting loose stone, work has now moved to drive in deep foundations for the future showbuilding using a pile driver: the tall, drill-like piece of machinery seen above. This moves around the site, planting supports in the ground at intervals to provide a solid base for the new building.

Also visible on the construction site, seen in these photos by the ParisCastMember blog, are several large steel “screws”, a shipping container and large pieces of wire frame. Not quite the usual recipe for a ratatouille, then. Costuming workshop Cast Members in the “Imaginations” building to the right now have an unimpeded view over the large construction site for the dark ride, thanks to the removal of the adjoining wall and awning which used to be part of Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic.

But the views are easy to obtain for guests and fans, too: as well as aerial sightings from Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, a temporary gate, lower than the hoardings, has been installed in the blue construction walls here (below the camera), next to Toy Story Playland. Though intended to provide a temporary evacuation route, it would be more than welcome if this stayed in place throughout the construction, to allow visitors to easily catch a glimpse of the future — and a reason to return.

Comments

Fantastic to see progress. It wasn’t long ago that thinking of DLRP was quite sad – little new investment, large areas of the parks decaying, almost like it had been forgotten — but now, refurbishments everywhere, a new castle lights show, a new land in WDS, this Ratatouille ride, and probably a 3rd gate within the next decade or so!

And this is taking place inside the worst financial times since the 1930’s! I can barely imagine what cool stuff we’ll see once the euro is sorted out and things get back to normal!

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